tinuation of its brow. An attempt to break it by little moles is seldom successful; they seem separate independent hillocks, artificially put on The intended effect may indeed be produced by a large knole descending In some places lower than in others, and rooted at several points into the hill. The same end may be attained by carrying some channel or holow on the side upwards, till it cut the continued line; or by bringing the brow forward in one place, and throwing it back in another; or by forming a secondary ridge a little way down the side, and casting the ground above it into a different, though not opposite direction to the general descent. Either of these expedients will at least draw the attention off from the fefect; but a greater would be substituted in its stead, if the break were to divide the line into equal parts; another uniformity would be added, without removing the former; for regularity always suggests a suspicion of artifice; and artifice detected, no longer deceives. Our imaginations would industriously join the broken parts, and the idea of the continued line would be restored.

IX. Whatever break be chosen, the position of it must be oblique to the line which is to be broken. A rectangular division produces sameness; there is no contrast between the forms it divides; but if it be oblique, while it di inishes the part on one side, it enlarges that on the other. Parallel lines are liable to the same objection as those at right angles: though each by itself be the perfect line of beauty, yet if they correspond, they form a shape between then, whole sides want contrast. On the same principle, forms will sometimes be intorduced, less for their intrinsic than their occasional merit, in contrasting happily with those about them: each sets off the other; and together they are a more agreeable com position than if they had been more beautiful, but at the same time ore similar.

One reason why tame scenes are seldom interesting, is, that though they often admit of any varieties, they allow of few, and those only faint contrasts. We may be pleased by the number of the former, but we can be struck only by the force of the latter. These ought to abound in the larger and bolder scenes of a garden, especially in such as are formed by an aseemblage of many distinct and considerable parts thrown together; as when several rising grounds appear one beyond another, a fine swell seen above a slanting sweep which runs before it, has a beautiful effect, which a nearer resemblance would destroy: and (except in particular instances) a close similarity between lines which either cross, or face, or rise behind one another, makes a poor, uniform, disagreeable composition.

X. The application of any of the foregoing observations to the still Creater scenes of nature, would carry me at pre ent too far; nor could it well be made, before the other constituent parts of those scenes, wood, we water, rocks, and buildings, have been taken into consideration. The rules which have been given, if such hints deserve the name of rules, are chiefly applicable to ground which may be managed by a spade; and even there they are only general, not universal: few of them are without exception; very few which, on particular occasions, may not be dispensed with. Many of the above remarks are, however, so far of use in scenes the furthest from our reach, as they may assist in directing our choice of those parts which are in our power to shew, or to conceal, though not to alter. But in converting them to this purpose, a caution, which has more than once been alluded to, must always be had in renombrance; nover to suffer general considerations to interfere with extraordinary great effects** The more we exact novelty, the sooner our taste will be vitiated. Situa